Coupla recent whites

California, Russian River Valley, Martinelli Gold Ridge Chardonnay 2000
$27.00 in 4/03, consumed 11/06.
Brassy gold color, malo nose, mature oak and malo CalChard. Very good, if it's what you like. I think it's smoother than it would have been a couple or three years ago. Yorkshire chicken (yes, chicken and Yorkshire pudding) last night, clam chowder this evening. I'd have a hard time drinking this by itself, but with the assertive dinner menus it worked Ok. Not my glass of wine, though.

Germany, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 1999
$14.40 in 2/01, consumed 11/06.
Petrol and an oily texture, but unexpectedly sweet. Light yellow, little aroma. An excellent choice with crab souffle.

Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 1999

You have more patience than me -- I already sucked back my six bottles.

[James Roscoe]

I'm having a hard time finding Dr Loosen in Maryland. The Dr. Heidemann's seems to be a decent substitute.

Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 1999

You have more patience than me -- I already sucked back my six bottles.

I've found the '99 Kabs to have opened up pretty nicely in the past year or so. Yet they too often seem a bit flabby and not acidic enough. How was the acidity of the Loosen?

What would you all suggest that I try with Loosen? I've had bad luck with the producer. I read everywhere that they are great, but I've never tried one that I'd have loved.

'Twas my last.

John

Acidity? What's that? ;^)

Lack of acidity may be what made it seem so sweet, but it really seemed to me like a mislabeled spatlese.

but it really seemed to me like a mislabeled spatlese.

I thought the norm today was that each Prädikat on the label is actually one Prädikat above: Kabs are Späts, Späts are Aus's, Aus's are BA, BAs are TBAs, TBAs are Tokaji Esszencias

-O-

California, Russian River Valley, Martinelli Gold Ridge Chardonnay 2000

Funny thing. I use to be on the Martinelli mailing list. I ended up having to feed the septic the last 7-8 (maybe more) whites I opened. All had flaws. Reds were fine and I still have many in the cellar. The problems were not the same nor contained to any single bottling but crossed vintanges and varietals.

I went years without a single bad bottle from them and then every white I had was just off. Strange.

>> I thought the norm today was that each Prädikat on the label is actually one Prädikat above: Kabs are Späts <<

Ya think that was true way back in '99, the year I retired?

I've heard that, and strangely I haven't heard anybody in the industry complaining that people are heaping vile calumnies upon them.

(Oh. You're in Finland. Need translation?)

(Oh. You're in Finland. Need translation?)

I wouldn't have had you not asked! What do you mean? I thought the text was clear?

-O-

Otto, are you going to post over here on that gooseberry wine you tasted the other day!!??

I was re-reading my post and I wasn't sure whether you'd get "heaping vile calumnies". You (and many others here) write such good English that I sometimes forget that it isn't your native language, and I use words and phrases that are a bit out of the ordinary.

Somewhat mature Kabinet and crab-cakes, my mouth is watering.

My understanding is that better German producers usually 'de-classify' their pradikat, so the wine will almost always have the must-weight of the next highest pradikat.

It was good. We'd had fresh local crab the night before, and there was just enough left over to make a souffle.